Thelma (Bailey) Carey Foster, 97, died March 29, 2009 at the
Caldwell Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Ipswich
following a long illness. She was the former wife of the late
Joseph R. Carey, a classmate of the Class of 1928, and the late
Lawrence C. Foster formerly of Hamilton.

Born July 22, 1911 in Ipswich, the daughter of the late Walter
R. Bailey and the late Ethel (MacIntyre) Bailey, she was the
last known surviving member of the Class of 1928 of the old
Manning High School. She was the Chief Probation Officer for the
Essex County Juvenile Probation District which included courts
in Ipswich, Haverhill, Newburyport, and Gloucester. She was
appointed a probation officer in May 1952 and then Chief
Probation Officer in November 1960, retiring in 1972. She was a
skilled creator of hooked rugs from the late 1940’s until her
recent illness. She made numerous hooked rugs of flowers,
birds, natural and historic scenes which were exhibited and
received awards in the annual Topsfield Fairs. She was a former
member of the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists and the
Atha National Chapter of Rug Hookers. She was exceptionally
knowledgeable about Ipswich history over the past century.

She leaves a son, Robert J. Carey and his fiancé, Linda Iannille
of Bedford, NH, and a daughter Cathleen R. McGinley and her
husband, Paul of Ipswich; a stepson, Richard L. Foster and his
wife, Marilyn of Newtown, PA, and a step daughter, Gail L.
Johnson of Omaha, NE. Grandchildren include Karen McGinley of
Brielle, NJ, Deborah Williams of Francestown, NH, Paul McGinley,
Jr. of Vail, CO, Kristen McGinley of Kensington, NH, Carey
McGinley of Ipswich, Shawn Carey of Westfield, MA and Christian
Carey of Stowe, VT. She is also survived by six great
grandchildren, and nieces Sheila Baldinelli, Carol McCarthy,
Madeline Abbot, Jane Howard and Marcia Greenough, all of
Ipswich.

She was a long-time communicant of the former St. Joseph’s
Church of Ipswich and the Church of St. Paul of Hamilton.

Funeral services are private with interment at the Cowles
Memorial Cemetery in Ipswich. A memorial Mass will be
celebrated at Church of St. Paul in Hamilton, on Saturday May
23, 2009 at 10 am. Arrangements are under the direction of
Whittier-Porter Funeral Home in Ipswich.

The family would especially like to thank the staff of Caldwell
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the Hospice of the
North Shore, her Cable Gardens friends, Carol McCarthy, Rose
Lynch, and Barbara Garrette and long time caregivers Nancy
Goodwin and Randee Michaud for their wonderful and caring
service.

Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Friends of the
Caldwell, 16 Green Street, Ipswich, MA 01938 or to Hospice of
the North Shore, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA
01923 or to St Paul’s Church, 50 Union Street, Hamilton, MA
01936.